Gunplay on the Great Sea
by Draconai
Summary: As with any pirate and good soul, Captain Tetra has no love of bloodshed. As their Great Voyage leads them to new and unfamiliar lands, with people who have never heard of - and are uncowed by - the Hero of Winds, she begins to wonder if perhaps a new tactic of intimidation is in order. After all, what sound on the sea strikes more fear than cannon fire?
1. The Captain's Cunning

Draco: Here's the story. Due to some personal difficulties, I was late to the Wii U party. Very late. Literally, I got a Wii U, and the next day a Nintendo newsletter showed up in my inbox about the Switch. However, I am absolutely satisfied with everything about the Wii U, and I am not so sure that I'm gonna pick up a Switch with any haste (though I'm gonna try not to be this late again). My current game reportoire includes Pokkén Tournament (which I was sorely tempted to write a pseudo-literation of, despite the advancing doom of Sun & Moon), The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD (Goddess, memorizing those Snowpeak jumps on the Wii version did me _no_ favours in getting this one), and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD (it was my first time playing Wind Waker, I made a _lot_ of stupid mistakes because I kept forgetting that magic was a thing). And Mario Kart, because I couldn't find a retailer that didn't have that bundle. Came with the DLC, too.

Incidentally, I am on a(nother) Zelda kick, which is why K+C Season II is in stasis. Consequently, Hyrule Warriors is in my interest (both of them, though the original moreso than _Legends_ ), and I have been running into so many spoilers that I pretty much gave up on the grounds that Zelda Wiki had it all covered in non-canon banners (and that every game I have been spoilered about has nonetheless managed to have _some_ impact if I haven't watched a YouTube playthrough). The discovery that most shocks me in reading this information?

Tetra has a pistol.

Now, developmentally speaking, this is astonishingly unnecessary, and I sincerely hope with every fibre in my being that this does not foreshadow any future developments for the Zelda series. Firearms have no business in the Legend of Zelda, and the only thing stopping me from putting on my mask, breaking into the most YouTube-worthy rant, and _putting it on YouTube myself_ is the fact that this is - by one degree of separation - not the Legend of Zelda.

But _thematically_ speaking, this is horrifyingly appropriate and I want to write a fanfic about it.

Now, I have played Wind Waker and Spirit Tracks, but _not_ Phantom Hourglass. Consequently, we're going to put this after Wind Waker but before Phantom Hourglass, and I am going to do everything in my power to keep this from going totally off the timeline like the last time I wrote a Zelda fanfic (you would not _believe_ the idiocy that transpired on that one). However, I am going to use the term "Salvage Arm" to refer to the Grappling Hook hauling up treasure in the deeps. Also, bombs as cannonballs is both visually awesome and functionally improbable. We're going to take the Twilight Princess approach to cannons that work with bombs.

Also, disclaimer: as my frequent readers know from my profile page (and may have inferred from my previously-written firefights), I don't know guns very well. I have no intact memory of firing or even holding a gun that didn't shoot a foam dart. I don't even play paintball. I am writing this entirely out of my ass. If you're a gun nut, I strongly recommend against reading this because my portrayals of gunplay may be horrendously inaccurate.

The Legend of Zelda and all related properties © Nintendo.

* * *

 **Log 1: The Captain's Cunning**

"A hit!"

It had been a month since the last remnants of Hyrule had been washed away by the gods of the Triforce. Ever since, pirate captain Tetra and her crew had been sailing the oceans, letting the wind guide them to whatever unfamiliar lands awaited. And the wind did never impede them when they had a set destination - for the Hero of Winds had chosen to accompany them, and with the Wind Waker in hand, he could turn the gales to whatever their needs demanded.

Many a day ended like this since their voyage began; the crew would gather on the lowest level of the ship and spar with one another to three blows, to decide who was left with which tasks for the next day. Everyone would draw straws, and the first two would duel; then, the next one would fight the victor. If the last victor was a different guy than whoever the first one defeated had lost to, they would be permitted another attempt, and so on. If one man took victory against everyone else, then the others would continue without him. A score would be kept of who lost to who, and whenever the loop closed, they would tally victories.

Perhaps expectedly, Link made a point of never being in the first match. The waker of the winds was the best swordsman on the ship, and left-handed to boot. On a good day - a really good day - he would straight-up take the pen and mark himself the loser against everyone, volunteering himself for whatever tasks nobody wanted to do. Otherwise, he would let everyone else fight their rounds, give them some time to rest up (and tire himself out a little while they did) and then take on whoever was in the best shape for a spar.

Today had not been the best of days - taking a boat-rocking broadside with a really _big_ chest dangling from your Salvage Arm will do that. Link had fought his rounds against Gonzo, Senza, Nudge, Mako, and Zuko, losing only to Gonzo (and some of the others suspected that was only because Gonzo had won against everyone else tonight, and Link didn't want to make things last longer with a tiebreaker); now he landed a sharp blow on Niko. They used makeshift wooden swords during these matches to minimize the chance of injury, but a thrust with a long piece of wood is still gonna sting a little, and as Niko recoiled from the blow Link allowed him a brief pause to regain his stance.

Niko went for a wild flail, but Link sidestepped the hit and slapped him on the leg, prompting Nudge to call out again, "A hit!" Niko hopped back on one leg - and with the other, moved his sword into a round strike that connected with the shoulder of Link's sword arm, causing him to yelp and hop back. "A hit!" Niko smirked and charged forward, leaping into the air in an imitation of Link's jump attack, but Link only rolled aside, leaving Niko's sword to slam into the lower deck; retaliating, Link quickly struck him with a light blow to the back.

And a loud, explosive _crack_ sounded the moment his weapon connected, throwing _everyone_ to their feet.

Link yelped, dropping his sword and stepping back, fearful he had hit a lot harder than he had meant to - but Niko only turned around, surprised. On seeing Link's expression, he quickly assured his (former) swabbie, "That wasn't me! You didn't break me!"

Zuko raised his gaze. "It came... from the deck."

Gonzo started. "Miss Tetra!"

Link quickly turned on his heel, grabbing his Hero's Sword and Mirror Shield (they had learned the first day that a sword sheathed on your person doesn't do much to stop a blow, but a shield hooked on your back _does_ ) and scrambling up the ladder. The whole crew was right behind him as he charged up the stairs - they were nearly out on the deck when another _crack_ sounded, and Link slammed into the door shield-first to throw it open and guard himself in the process.

Tetra was standing at the stern. There was a large, thick target set up before her, with several holes in it - and they could _see the stars_ on the other side. In the captain's left hand was a small, cylindrical figure affixed to what looked like a crossbow handle; an opening on one end was smoking, and in her right hand was a handful of powder from a sliced-open bomb that was sitting on the deck. Next to that was a barrel of small metal balls that were usually used to check inclines on land when something needed blowing up, to make sure the bombs wouldn't be rolling into the crew. At the stampeding footsteps from behind her, Tetra turned around to see the entire crew standing there - Link was at the front with shield and sword in accord, and everyone else had their hands on their weapons.

"...What?"

Link's gaze went from side to side - there were no ships visible on the seas, nor any islands close enough to be threatening. Everyone else had their gaze on the item in the captain's hands, and after a moment Mako spoke up. "Miss... what is that?"

Tetra lowered her gaze to her item. "This?" she asked, raising it before her. "It's a little cannon I've been working on."

"A cannon?" Senza gave the item a judgmental look. "Miss, that doesn't look like it would be much use against a ship."

"It's... never mind," Tetra insisted. "Look, what are you guys out here for?"

"Was that just your cannon going off?!" Gonzo demanded. "We heard something we've _never_ heard before! We thought you were in danger!"

At that, Tetra lowered her gaze. "Sorry..."

Niko sighed. "Hey, don't worry about it! Just good to know the captain's alright, alright?" He turned around and started back below decks, the rest of the crew following him. "Let's call it a night! How many rounds did I lose?"

"All of them," Nudge informed him. "Link _did_ hit you that third time before we came out, right?"

"Yeah, that's why he was panicking," Mako confirmed. "Thought he'd broken..."

+x+x+x+

Tetra was up early the next morning; the sun had yet to rise, and without any hurry for their next destination, she elected to let the crew sleep in until it did. Making her way out to the deck, she found Link at the aft end with a broom and dustpan held together in one hand - and an expression on his face that implied he had been sneezing.

"Link!" The captain's call prompted him to raise his gaze, seeing Tetra standing there surprised. "What are you doing so early?"

The swordsman beckoned to the barrel of metal balls. Her sliced-open bomb from yesterday was sitting atop it, and Tetra realized that she had left that on the deck when she had called it a night; it must have been rolling about on the deck and spilling powder everywhere. "Oh, goddesses," Tetra gasped, "I can't believe I forgot about that. Thanks."

Link only raised his empty hand reassuringly with a smile. Tetra stepped towards the barrel, grabbing the bomb from it; it felt a _lot_ emptier, but a bit of shaking revealed that there was still a bit of powder left in it. Absently, she took a handful of power and tossed it off the deck of the ship - whereupon it simply started to drift down into the sea.

"Nothing for wind," she sighed, setting the bomb back down. "Gonna have to conduct if we wanna get anywhere in the morning."

After a moment's thought, she became aware of Link staring at her with a very deep-thought look on his face. After a moment's contemplation, she reached into her pocket. "Let me guess," she prompted, drawing out her hand-held cannon. "You've got some questions about this?"

Link gave a quiet chuckle and a nod.

Tetra turned round, holding the weapon before her. "I've been working on this for a good while," she admitted. "I figured, the cannons are useful enough, but they're mounted to the ship. A bow's useful enough, but I want something with a little more... _oomph_ to it, you know what I mean?"

To her surprise, Link shook his head slowly.

"How do I put this...?" Tetra leaned her head back, her gaze going to the stars. "I want something that can _scare_ people who try to mess with us. Frighten them so they don't fight us. Less bloodshed, less wounds. A cannon shot is frightening, but everyone with a barrel and a bomb bag knows how tricky it is to aim at something that's far enough inland. And a bow doesn't make noise worth anything, so it doesn't work for intimidation unless they see you nocking an arrow."

Link nodded understandingly; then he held out his hand. That wordless request prompted Tetra to take her hand-cannon by the barrel and offer it to Link, albeit with a warning. "Careful how you're holding that." He understood well enough, not even closing his fingers on the grip but instead lying it flat on two hands.

"What I did was, I took a cannon barrel and sorta just... made it tiny," Tetra explained as Link was looking over it. "Problem with that is, firing the King's cannon gets him rocking; if I tried it with something that small, it'd fly out of my hands. So I worked it a little like a crossbow." At that comment, Link briefly gripped the handle, releasing the barrel for a moment only to lie it flat on his hands again. "And of course, bombs don't exactly come that small - nor is it a good idea to make one."

The wind waker beckoned to the sliced-open bomb with his head, a questioning expression on his face.

"Pretty much." Tetra reached forward and tapped a small protrusion on the back of the barrel, away from the handle. "I put a couple flints in to make a spark. One attached here..." Then she tapped the trigger and added, "and one here. Pour in some blast powder, slide in a cannonball, and kaboom."

Link handed the weapon back to her with a raised eyebrow, silently asking for a demonstration. Tetra accepted it and stepped away from the railing, prompting Link to come up next to her as she turned to the target still sitting on the stern. With the swordsman's gaze on her, she closed one hand on the cannon's grip and beckoned to the upper protrusion with the other.

"This bit here shifts the flint," she explained. "When it's raised like this, the flint's out of the way so pulling the trigger won't spark. That way I don't risk firing when I'm loading it up. If I lower it like so..." She moved the protrusion down until it stopped moving, then explained, "it's set to fire."

A nod from Link; then he shot the target a look and turned back to her.

Tetra only shook her head. "No," she insisted, re-lifting the flint. "You guys heard that below decks when you were swordfighting. I don't want to wake everyone up." Then, before Link could reply; "And don't give me that sad Octorok face, either. I can show you sometime when it's light out."

Link opened his mouth indignantly.

"Hey, you know you were going to!"

Link then proceeded to close his mouth sheepishly and turn away.

* * *

Draco: Ugh. FFN hates me. I have to jump hoops to save my Docs.

I have seen exactly ONE (serious) Zelda fanfic that featured a silent Link (albeit later shown to be by choice, but still). I was very impressed, and thought I'd give it a try for myself.


	2. Reputation Rising

Draco: _Baby you a so~ng / You make me wanna ro~ll my sa~ils down / And cru~ise_

Breath of the Wild reeks of swansong and/or revolution. Don't get me wrong, it's an awesome game, and voice-acted cutscenes do **wonders** for the emotions, but it's HUGE and I hope they scale it back a touch for the next one. I know _some_ people who should be all but fangirling over the LinkToThePast-style overworld and story procession (*cough*BrentBlack*cough*), but there's a fine line between **fun** difficult and **frustrating** difficult, and without someone like Fi or Navi to back you up the Legend has always been treading heavy on it.

The Legend of Zelda and all related properties © Nintendo.

* * *

 **Log 2: Reputation Rising**

"Gonzo!"

"Link, now!"

The wind waker gave a battle yell as he charged forward. His target - a rather brazen bandit who had thought it a good idea to steal a heavy sack full of bombs from a pirate ship and then flee into a forest with scant visibility - glanced towards him in time to see Link veering towards him with his sword raised. The thief's attempts to veer aside promptly resulted in his slamming into a large tree, and Link thrust his sword forward as he tried to turn around, pinning his collar to the tree without scratching him and then kicking off his chest to wind him.

Tetra stepped towards the bandit with her cutlass drawn as Gonzo recovered the explosives. "Right, then," she prompted. "Any motivations you wanna share before we deal with you?"

"Don' talk ter me like tha', little missy!" the thief protested. "A couple kids and a book daf' brute aren' gonna scare me!"

Gonzo made to speak before Tetra raised her hand; then she reached behind her. "You're not dealing with a couple of kids," she insisted. "You just got cornered by Captain Tetra and the Hero of Winds."

The thief gave her a look. "Hero of _wha_ ' now?" he snapped.

Tetra winced. "Hadn't thought we'd gotten that far already," she admitted.

She drew her hand back around, revealing her hand-held cannon - and the thief looked most disturbed. "Wha' in the hell?" he muttered. "Wha' is tha'?"

"It's a cannon," Tetra replied, like it was obvious.

"And I'm a Goron," the bandit countered. "Come on, missy, really. Ye got a man at swordpoin', at leas' answer his las' questions hones', would ya?"

"No, really," Tetra insisted. "It's a cabin-brewed thing. A little smaller, but it's a real cannon. I can show you if you'd like."

She raised the weapon towards him, and the thief paled a dozen shades. "Uh, never mind," he insisted. "I believe ya. Ye can carry on with yer swords now."

Tetra clicked her tongue menacingly. "No, no," she assured him. "You're right. I have to honor your last request, and answer your last questions honestly. Let's make sure you can see it though, hmm?"

The barrel of her cannon was lowered from its aim at his face. "How about..."

"Alrigh'!" the bandit shrieked. "Alrigh', I'll talk! I'll tell ye wha'ever ye wanna hear! Jus' don't fire at me!"

"You didn't come after us on your own, did you?" Gonzo demanded.

"No, I didn'!" he admitted. "These punks on a black boa' asked me to rob you guys! Heard you were doin' things with ye're bombs and wan'ed to pu' an end to i'! They promised me a sack of silvers! I couldn' say no ter tha'!"

Tetra hummed. "Black boat?" she murmured. A glance at Link had the swordsman shaking his head; that didn't ring any bells. "What's the captain's name?"

"They never gave me a name!" the thief protested. "I know the ship though; they call i' the _Mandrag_. Makes yer princess look righ' sub'le, i' does."

Gonzo raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

The bandit chuckled. "It's black!" he insisted. "It's _all_ black! Like, they're no' even flying a Jolly Roger, they jus' go' a _plain_ black flag!"

"That's... audacious," Tetra observed. "Do you know anywhere they frequent?"

"Sail straigh' north of here," the thief replied. "There's a rocky island withou' a spit of sand or a branch off a tree. Tha's their usual hangou'."

Tetra nodded. "Thanks for being so generous."

She beckoned towards him with her cutlass. Link quickly leapt up, and before the man could respond he yanked his Hero's Sword out of the tree - and the bandit's garments.

"Now then," the captain prompted. "You're going to wait here, hmm... an hour? Hour and a half? Shouldn't take us two hours to push off. After that, you're free to be on your way. Come after us again, though..."

She tapped her hand-held cannon lightly with the tip of her cutlass, and the man paled. "Y-yeah," he insisted. "Go' it."

"That's what I thought."

+x+x+x+

Captain Tetra's words rang true; it didn't take her ship - the _Princess Hilda_ \- a whole two hours to push off from the wooded island where they had recovered the stolen bombs. A few hours sailing north; then, as the sun was nearly set, they did see a ship in _all_ black. Sails were furled; then Tetra made her way to the crow's nest, finding Zuko already eyeing the ship.

"How many have they got on there?" she asked.

"Two dozen... give or take," Zuko replied. Handing her the spyglass; "You... may wish to see this."

Curious, Tetra accepted the telescope and aimed it towards the ship. The crew, lighting lanterns as the sun was setting, didn't share the _Mandrag_ 's colour scheme; they were dressed in bright reds... save one familiar figure standing by the helm, dressed in blue.

Tetra nearly leaned out of the crow's nest on seeing him. "I know _you!_ " she muttered. "I don't know who you _are_ , but I know you." They had encountered this scoundrel previously; he had met with them on 'friendly' terms in a town not far off the Great Sea over Hyrule, and shown an interest in Tetra's hand-held cannon. He had attempted to talk her into selling it to him, and when that failed, he had tried to steal into their ship and take it himself. They'd knocked him off the deck and sunk his previous - rather flashy - vessel before it had hardly left the shore, and she wasn't all too surprised to see he hadn't gone down with his ship.

"Right, then," the captain mused, handing Zuko his spyglass back. "That one's gonna keep coming after us if we don't give him a good piece."

Back down on the deck, the entire crew was surprised - and worried - to hear what she had found. "What's the plan, Miss Tetra?" Nudge asked.

Tetra glanced towards the sun, barely a line on the horizon. "The darkness'll make it tricky with a ship that black... but it's better than going after them in broad daylight. Nudge, you and Link take the King and cruise over to the _Mandrag_ ," Tetra told him. "Grab him, and bring him here. Don't alert the crew. This needs to be stealthy. We'll have a talk with him once he gets here. Mako, prepare the torches."

The sun had vanished as the King of Red Lions - Link's vessel and companion as the Hero of Winds - was set into the water, and he and Nudge had boarded. As Link's hand met the tiller, he felt the faintest resonation; an echo of the Hyrulean Royal Family's magic still remained in the empty vessel, and though it could not drive the ship to leap from the ocean or hold steady against the recoil of a cannon, it was just enough to propel it ever-so-slowly across the water without wind or rowing.

By the time they had come up alongside the _Mandrag_ , the deck had gone quiet save for a lookout. Link led the climb up the vessel's side, and as he neared the deck he heard the lookout murmuring to himself. "...boss is paranoid... punk was a coward anyway... never gonna find us..."

With a roll of his eyes, Link watched through the guardrail until the lookout's back was turned; then he hopped up onto the deck, dashing onto the other side of the mast. He kept his focus on the lookout, watching the way he watched, and once the wind waker was sure it was safe he beckoned for Nudge to join him on the deck. Alas, as the crew's muscle approached the mast, he ended up colliding with an overflowing barrel of apples, one of which tumbled out and onto the deck with just enough force to break and draw the lookout's attention.

Despite his attitude, the lookout seemed rather cowardly. The sound caused his voice to pitch up a few octaves, and in an almost feminine squeak he asked, "Who's there?"

Too late did Link realize that this was _not_ Windfall Island, he was _not_ watching Zunari's safe for night thieves... and a meow was _not_ inconspicuous.

The lookout seemed sleep-deprived, and at first turned away, muttering, "Oh, it's just a cat." He turned away for half a moment before perking up and starting to turn with a loud, "Wait a min-"

Nudge was already there before he could speak with enough volume to rouse the crew. One hand clasped around his mouth, and he circled around to hold the lookout from behind as the other closed over his nose. After a moment, the lookout was unconscious, and Nudge lowered him slowly to the deck before rounding on Link. "A cat?" he hissed. "Really?"

Link threw his hands up as though he had no idea what had driven him to do it, either, before starting towards the captain's cabin. The door was closed tightly; Link drew out an empty bottle and pressed it against the door, listening for any activity inside, and once he was sure it was silent he slowly - painstakingly slowly - turned the doorknob and opened the door.

The captain was passed out over a sea chart, with a lantern burning at the edge of the table. Link carefully opened the lantern and blew out the flame; Nudge gave the man a good once-over, studying his slumbering posture and recognizing the twitchy fingers of someone who would wake with a strike. He whispered slowly to Link, who crawled his way under the table, and Nudge hunched down behind the captain's chair.

Three fingers were raised on one hand.

Then two.

Then one.

As he closed the last finger, Link prodded the captain's legs with the pommel of his Hero's Sword. The captain shot to his feet with a wide swing of each arm - and the moment the second swing faded, Nudge lunged up and covered his nose and mouth. Link quickly rolled out from under the table as the captain struggled; he had strength, but Nudge had more, and holding in place until the captain had passed out was easy enough. The lookout was still unconscious on the deck, and Link quickly located a sizeable pile of rope with which to bind the captain, and then lower him into the King.

+x+x+x+

"...ning."

"Good mor~ning."

"Time to wake up. Come now, that's it."

In the dim glow of a waiting flame, Tetra watched as the captain of the _Mandrag_ \- a burly, pale man with bright red hair - slowly opened his eyes. He was still bound in the rope from his own ship, albeit with the bindings altered for captivity rather than transport. As he opened his blazing red eyes, Tetra smirked at his empty gaze, twirling her cutlass in hand. "Nudge's got quite a hold, hasn't he?"

"You're that witch with the cannon," the captain muttered. "I never did get your name."

"We're even," Tetra prompted.

It was readily apparent that she would keep it that way. "I'm Rukahn."

"Tetra." Beckoning with her cutlass; "This is Link."

He turned in the direction she had motioned to see the wind waker standing with a Fire Arrow nocked in his bow, the only illumination in the dark hold he lay in. Tetra stepped forward with her sword in hand. "Now, then," she prompted. "Care to tell me why you promised someone a bag of silver Rupees to steal my bombs?"

"Did that punk go for your bomb bags?" Rukahn protested. "I told him to sabotage your cannon. Figures he'd go for the mounted ones."

"Doesn't it, though?" Tetra prompted. "Should've given him a little more detail."

"Not a chance," Rukahn muttered. "He'd have taken it himself, and I'd never-"

"So that's it." Tetra's interruption caused him to fall quiet. "You want my cannon for yourself. You'll settle for making it so no one gets it, but you want it."

Link caught her eye and nodded; then the captain drew out her hand-held cannon. She quickly flipped the catch - making sure it was _not_ positioned to spark the flints - before aiming it at Rukahn. "You're going to stop," she reprimanded. "You're going to leave us alone. And you're _definitely_ going to stop trying to take my weapons. Otherwise, we're going to toss you in a longboat, hang a cannonball off either end, and powder the ropes with bait. I wonder how long it'll take a Gyorg to nibble one of them? Boat turning over when you can't move would have you sinking fast. "

Rukahn chuckled. "A little girl with a long cruel streak, eh?" he taunted. "You know, a captain tends to make sure his crew knows when he leaves the ship."

"Nudge had you out like a light," Tetra retaliated. "They can't react to nothing."

"Unless, of course, they're spending the whole night _not_ reacting to something."

The gong on the deck sounded loudly - a warning that they were being boarded. Tetra yelped. "What the-!?"

A hearty laugh from Rukahn. "They're already here!"

Tetra quickly kicked the door to the brig open as Link slung the Hero's Bow over his shoulder and extinguished his Fire Arrrow. "Niko," she barked, "watch him!" Link rushed out, grabbing the Hero's Sword and Mirror Shield he'd left outside and leaving Niko to slam the door shut behind them - leaving Rukahn alone in the darkness of the brig. With a slow chuckle, he reached his bound-together hands towards his left pocket, where he always kept a knife and a flint.

The pocket was empty; Tetra had searched him before he'd woken.

+x+x+x+

Link charged through the door shield-first.

A massive Moblin dropped onto him from over the door, and as he was thrown to the ground the Mirror Shield fell from his grip, the polished crystal surface skidding across the deck. Tetra was right behind him, and a fierce blow from her cutlass quickly threw the beast off him; Link quickly got up and slammed a jump attack that threw the monster off the ship. There was a rat-looking man standing under the mast, and as captain and hero scanned the ship - finding the crew fighting Bokoblins galore - the rat picked up the battle plate with a menacing eye. "Well, lookie here."

"You work with blins!?" Tetra roared.

"The blins wanted to work with us!" the rat countered. "Captain's right here, beasts, get 'er!"

Link quickly sheathed his sword with one hand and drew off his bow with the other as the monsters started to charge them. He nocked an arrow, and a bright light draped it, changing its form - such that it looked like an uninterrupted shaft formed of gold. As he raised it, the tip gleamed with a vibrant light, and he waited until the frontmost Bokoblin was nearly about to attack before letting it fly.

The arrow became a streak of light, tearing through the blins unresisted and slamming into another member of the _Mandrag_ 's crew that was standing at the edge of the deck. His pained howl tore through the air as the struck monsters were consumed in light, bursting into smoke; Link slung his bow over his shoulder with one hand and drew his sword with the other, holding it at his side as a golden power draped it. The enemy crew was panicking, and as Link lunged forward, whirling into a Hurricane Spin that cleaved through monsters and launched men into the water, the rat who had picked up the Mirror Shield dashed for the prow. As Link slowed to a halt - on his feet, but in no condition to act quickly - Tetra saw the rat waving towards them tauntingly.

"Adios, Captain Las-!"

He was silenced when Tetra flipped the catch on her weapon, raised it to aim at him, and fired.

Long nights of practice on the deck, learning how the shots of her tiny cannon flew, paid off the moment she pulled the trigger in a combat situation. The tiny metal ball emerged from the barrel and soared across the deck at speeds that nobody's eyes could catch. In the time it took Link to blink, the shot slammed into the polished crystal surface of the Mirror Shield... and _shattered_ it, shards scattering onto the deck as the shot continued into the metal backing. It had slowed down from the impact, and as it connected with the surface it didn't break through... but it _did_ warp the steel pretty badly, and something in the rat's arm broke from the collision. His howl tore through the air as fell off the deck and into the water.

Tetra lowered her cannon with a gasp as the deck went quiet. "Oh, bugger," she muttered. "Sorry about that, Link."

The wind waker gave her a look somewhere between relief and disbelief; he wasn't going to hold this against her.

+x+x+x+

Rukahn refused to leave Tetra alone after Link came back in with a small barrel of crystal shards. He was knocked out in short order; and true to Tetra's word, he was set into a longboat weighted with cannonballs which was quickly lowered into the water and left to drift on the waves. They set sail at first dawn; the captain retreated into her cabin, insisting she had some reading to do and trusting the crew to handle the deck while she did.

In the captain's cabin of the _Princess Hilda_ were several tomes that nobody in the crew recognized. Tetra had found them there after the final battle in Hyrule - a parting gift from King Daphnes, she suspected. Quiet nights had found her peering through them in the past, intent on putting herself to sleep with a few minutes of history or lore. However, even reading something only briefly can provide a spark when there is something one needs to find... and when the Mirror Shield had shattered, Tetra had known there was something she needed to find.

Find it she did, in a book labelled _Forgework of Hyrule Kingdom_.

 _Gor Crystal  
_ _Found in many locations deep within the earth in the land of Hyrule (as defined in the Era of the Hero of Time, extending from the Gerudo Desert Colossus to the Zora's Domain Fountain, and from Hyrule Castle Grounds to Lake Hylia), this crystalline substance is often uncovered in large, localized deposits.  
It is so named "Gor Crystal" because the only way known to properly forge anything from it is to melt it in the hottest fires of Death Mountain, which lay in Goron territory, and then cast the molten substance. Although gradual grinding with stone or metal tools may eventually alter its shape (at the cost of innumerable amounts of each tool), this will weaken the crystal's substance, making sharp weapons of Gor Crystal highly impractical.  
Both the Hylian Royal Family and the Gerudo tribe are reported as having cast shields of Gor Crystal. When cleanly polished, the crystal's substance reflects light with near perfection, and so these battle plates earned the moniker of "Mirror Shields". The Gerudo plate was uncovered by the Hero of Time during his journey against the Evil King, Ganon; the Hylian plate was last stored in the Earth Temple, the site of prayer for Sages of Earth to maintain the Master Sword's power to repel evil.  
When properly forged, Gor Crystal is thus far known to be impossible to break through impact force, such as with a sword or arrow._

Her gaze lingered on that final line for a long moment.

* * *

Draco: I was halfway through planning for a large-scale Zelda fanfic. Like, I laid it out like a new game entry, and was typing it up as a game procession so that I knew where everything was going to happen before I tried to write it. Then Breath of the Wild came out and _used all of my ideas_. Well, almost all of my ideas. I could probably still get away with giving it form because the story is still vastly different, but still.


	3. A Duel in the Daylight

Draco: Technology that is revered as magic is still technology. Likewise, the Sheikah magic in Breath of the Wild being acclimated as technology doesn't change the fact that it is still _magic_. I know I'm probably the only person with this mindset, but hell with it. Electronics don't work like half of that, and the other half wouldn't survive that long and still be in such good condition.

The Legend of Zelda and all related properties © Nintendo.

* * *

 **Log 3: A Duel in the Daylight**

"That's nine. All accounted for."

Half a year into their Great Voyage, the crew of the _Princess Hilda_ had seen many a fantastical sight. They were far beyond any waters that had heard of the Hero of Winds, but that was a lesser problem - for rumors travelled fast on ocean waves, and Captain Tetra had become feared as a devilish girl with the undying loyalty of her crew and more than one ace up her sleeve (despite her lack thereof).

They had just gotten back on board after a botched treasure hunt had revealed an underground Moblin camp the size of Ice Ring Isle. Senza was counting their specialty arrows; it had been his idea to take the broken shards of Link's Mirror Shield and use them as arrowheads. Fragmented Gor Crystal that hadn't been ground into shape was violently sharp, and most men didn't need more than a glancing blow from one of these to start running. Link, however, had a bad habit of going for the wrong quiver, and with such a limited commodity he'd taken more than one tongue-lashing for drawing them at Bokoblins and Kargarocs.

Senza slipped the Crystal Arrows into their steel-lined quiver and set them aside before heading back out onto the deck. It was nearly noon on a day of very dark clouds, and Link was passing out some fried fish for lunch (none of them had figured out how he could loose a Fire Arrow at a jumping salmon and have it roasted perfectly by the time he pried the shaft out). Senza made sure he was taking the last one off the tray before cuffing the wind waker in the back of the head. "You're lucky you didn't lose any this time," he reprimanded.

Link turned away sheepishly and headed back below decks to start washing. They'd started with thirteen Crystal Arrows; the hero had lost two to Octoroks and another when the King had been knocked over by a Gyorg, with the remainder being on Niko (who had thought it a good idea to use such sparse projectiles for target practice on the open deck in the middle of the night). The conman made his way to the prow to find Tetra perched there, looking out curiously. "Something the matter, Miss Tetra?"

"Senza... do you see that?"

The conman followed her gaze, but to nothing. "See what?" he prompted.

Tetra pointed forward. "It's like... one of those Bokoblin lookout towers. A little lower in the water. But it's shimmering."

"Miss, I don't see anything," Senza insisted.

A low breath from Tetra. Then, loudly; "Furl the sails! Drop anchor as soon as we're not on the wind! Where's Niko?"

A muffled "Niko is in here" had the captain turning to find the bottom-rung pirate sitting in the King of Red Lions, eating his fish.

+x+x+x+

A few moments later, Tetra, Link, and Niko were sailing the King towards the suspicious lookout. Link **had** seen the lookout tower after Tetra had pointed it out; Niko had _not_ , and Tetra wanted to know why she and the wind waker were the only ones who could see it.

The clouds proved to be rain-filled after all; water was pouring down on them as they got near. Tetra furled the King's sail once they had reached the ladder; then, without hesitating, she turned to Niko. "You lead."

"What."

Tetra beckoned to the tower. "You go up first."

Niko shook his head. "Okay, A, you **never** let me go first. And B, _there's nothing to go on!_ "

Link sighed and grabbed Niko's wrist, pulling him towards the ladder. Against his protests and struggles, the bottom-rung pirate's hand collided with the ladder - and he yelped in shock as Link let go. "What the heck!?"

"You can feel it?" Tetra asked.

"I don't know _what_ I'm feeling," Niko protested. His hand shifted on it. "It's... wood?"

Tetra sighed. "Alright, then," she prompted. "You're not coming up if you still can't see it. Stay here and keep the water out of the King."

The captain started climbing, and Link waited until she was about halfway up the ladder before following suit. The tower looked more-or-less ordinary, despite it's stunning lack of Bokoblins; however, both of them were rather surprised to see a familiar spiral figure imprinted on the floor.

"Wait a second," Tetra mused, "isn't this...? This is Cyclos' mark!"

Link nodded. He had seen this in nine locations on the Great Sea above Hyrule; and after a bout with the storm god, he had been able to travel to each of those locations with the power of gales.

Tetra sighed. "I was half expecting an army of Wizzrobes when everyone said they couldn't see it," she observed. "But I get it. It's only visible to those who have used the Wind Waker." She sighed. "Never thought Hyrule's storm god would travel this fa..."

She fell quiet as she started turning back towards the _Princess Hilda_ \- and Link followed her gaze to find another ship approaching it on nothing but oar power.

+x+x+x+

A quick change in the wind got the King back in a flash, and Tetra leapt onto the deck as the newcomer's ship arrived alongside it. A boarding plank was dropped between vessels, and someone in a lot of concealing armour stepped across it.

"Is this the ship of Captain Tetra?"

Mako turned a few pages in his book, preparing to draw the knife he had hidden in it. "Who's asking?"

The armoured man reached for a longsword at his hip, baring the blade just enough to reveal the black bone carved into the silver blade. "I am Captain Ruby Skull, of the _Silver Bone_. I have come to parley with Captain Tetra."

"With all due respect," Senza prompted, "we ain't gonna buy parley when your broadside is set up perfectly to fire us through. Why don't you give us somewhere a little more neutral to meet up?"

"Very well," Skull replied. "There is an island ten minutes west of here. Rouse your captain, and tell her to meet me there with her most trusted ally."

He turned away and boarded his own ship; the boarding plank was withdrawn, and the ship rowed away.

Once they were sure the ship was gone, Tetra breathed a heavy sigh. "You know, I could keelhaul you guys for making a decision without your captain's consent when she's right here."

"He was going for his sword!" Gonzo defended. "What are your orders, Miss?"

Tetra set her hands on her hips. "Come to parley with Captain Tetra," she echoed under her breath. "Why would anyone want to talk with me?" After a moment; "We'll hear him out. But I don't trust anyone who hides his face with that much steel. Keep the _Princess_ moving while I'm on shore."

+x+x+x+

They found the island in question without too much difficulty. The _Silver Bone_ was already there; Tetra and Link got into the King, and the _Princess Hilda_ started circling it at range as they approached the shore.

Link elected to lead, with his family Hero's Shield held before him; his Hero's Sword was in his left hand, and Tetra had her cutlass in her right as they advanced.

Captain Ruby Skull seemed amused to see them. "I suppose none of your crew claimed that you were _not_ presently on the deck," he observed.

Tetra smirked. "No, they didn't," she admitted. "What do you want from me?"

"I want your help."

Link almost dropped his sword at that.

His captain _did_. "Wait, what?"

Skull reached for his helmet with both hands and drew it off, revealing a face covered in burns. "Thirty days ago, I and my crew came upon an abandoned fortress, two day's sailing north of here. When we entered, we found it was filled with Darknuts and Wizzrobes. I managed to survive, but my entire crew was slain." He caught his helmet under his arm and set his empty hand upon his chest. "Captain Tetra, you are renowned across the oceans as having cunning and skill that has left you nigh unchallenged. I ask for your aid in avenging my men."

Tetra glanced at Link before turning back to Skull. "I presume you're willing to compensate us?" she asked. "As a fellow pirate captain, you should know I won't take jobs for free without a very good reason."

"But of course," Skull prompted. "When I asked around, everyone refused to assist me. The fortress is renowned as holding a vast amount of treasure, yet none who have gone to seek it have returned. If you will aid me, I will leave the treasure in its entirety to you. And if the rumors are false, I will pay you out of my own hold."

"Very well, then," Tetra insisted. "We'll lend you our strength."

+x+x+x+

Three days later, the _Silver Bone_ and _Princess Hilda_ had arrived at the fortress in question. Surrounded by a ring of sharp, threatening rocks, Tetra couldn't help but wonder how Captain Skull had gotten his entire crew into the fortress.

"With a lot of longboats," Skull admitted. "All of which got sunk by Wizzrobe fire on my way out."

A smaller group would give them more maneuverability; after some deliberation, Skull agreed to go in with just the _Princess_ ' crew, with two trips on the King being enough to get everyone over and not risk dropping anything. Captain Tetra drew out her hand-held cannon while the Captain was cruising over, loading it with bomb powder and then slipping in the shot; then, once they were all there, she drew her cutlass and beckoned for Nudge to open the great wooden doors.

The nine of them; Link, Tetra, Gonzo, Nudge, Senza, Mako, Zuko, Niko, and Skull - carefully made their way in... and when the door slammed closed behind them, they all quickly arranged in a circular formation in the darkness of the fortress.

"Be on your guard." Skull growled. "They're close, I can feel it. Are you ready for them?"

Link drew his Hero's Bow, nocking a Fire Arrow. In the flickering glow, he could - just barely - make out a row of seven torches along the far wall, and he quickly loosed his arrow, the blazing flame striking the centermost torch dead-on.

What he hadn't seen in the darkness were the Boko Sticks lined up along the torches; the flame spread across the wooden weapons in short order, igniting all seven torches. The moment the last was lit, a loud groan of wood caused everyone to raise their gazes; the wooden roof of the fortress was falling open, letting the sunlight pour in. An arcane whistle echoed through the air, slowly growing louder, and Link went for his sword.

Between the pirates and the torches appeared the beak-masked figure of a Wizzrobe - and no sooner was it all there than Tetra raised her cannon and fired.

The crack of her firing was deafening in such a confined space; nonetheless, the shot split the beak mask in half and sent the Wizzrobe flying back. It was dead before it hit the ground, and it shortly burst into smoke as Tetra lowered her cannon. "Something will have heard that," she warned. "Link, keep your arrows ready. Captain Skull, where do they come out?"

"They don't."

Link's bow was halfway off his shoulder when he spun round, sweeping it at the armoured captain's sword before it was halfway out its sheath. The bowstring hooked on the hilt and dragged it out of his grip as the entire crew leapt back, panicking.

The traitorous captain only chuckled. "I never would have thought the infamous Captain Tetra would be so foolishly trustworthy," he reprimanded. "Hand over your weapon and I'll spare your ship."

"Why does everyone want my cannon," Tetra growled. "Link, Niko, Gonzo, back to the _Princess!_ "

Gonzo quickly shouldered the door open, and the three of them dashed out, leaving Tetra, Senza, Nudge, Mako, and Zuko to form a ring around the deceptive Captain. Skull reached for his helmet and drew it off, tossing the metal aside the moment his face was bare. "Coming to this place - somewhere so isolated, with no one who knows where you are - was your second mistake. Your first..."

His right hand went for the base of his left.

"...was assuming that anyone who could survive burning such as this was human."

Everyone started as he _ripped off_ his left arm, and Tetra was shocked when she saw a complete lack of flesh under the pauldron. "You're... a Stalfos?"

"Wizzrobe illusions are a versatile art." The Stal captain raised his arm threateningly. "Surrender your weapon, Captain Tetra! Your ship will not survive this without my mercy!"

"Go to Hyrule."

Tetra hurled her hand-held cannon skyward, and as Skull made to seize it mid-flight she charged forward with her cutlass raised. The blade collided with the still-armoured arm that he had torn off; Tetra quickly realized that bones fit into plate mail a lot less form-fittingly than flesh does, and she grabbed the bone sticking out the end and yanked the arm out while their weapons were still crossed. Without anything inside, the armour fell limp - more of a flail than a bludgeon - and Tetra quickly leapt up and kicked the Stal in the chestplate, knocking him back and propelling herself towards her crew.

Her cannon landed in her hand, and Nudge and Senza used the opening to charge forward with their own cutlasses raised. Tetra quickly holstered her weapon and beckoned for Mako and Zuko to circle around as she started forward again; Skull was proving rather defensive despite his lack of weapon, and Tetra used her crew's distraction to swing her cutlass into his other arm, knocking the pauldron off and letting the arm fall to the ground. Senza quickly slammed an upward blow into his jaw, knocking the illusion off his face and baring his skull; then Nudge thrust hard, knocking the captain back.

Another arcane whistle caused Tetra to turn round to see another Wizzrobe appearing behind her; not having time to reload her cannon, she hurled her cutlass at it, the blade slamming into its head and causing it to stumble. As she made to charge forward, she felt a suspicious _tug_ on her belt, and she spun horrified to see that Skull's dismembered arm - the one she had torn out of its armour - was still _moving_ , independent of the Stal it came from.

And that it had seized her cannon.

Panicking, she lunged forward, but the hand quickly hurled it towards the captain. The still-armoured hand had managed to pull itself towards its owner, and as the Wizzrobe appeared next to Skull he kicked it up to catch the thrown weapon before reaffixing it to his arm.

"Thank you, Captain Tetra!" he called. Another Wizzrobe, this one crowned, was appearing above him as he continued, "As promised, your **ship** will be spared. Wreck them!"

He and the uncrowned Wizzrobe faded out as the crowned one hurled a blast of magic forward. Three Darknuts - one of them bearing a threatening cape - dropped out of the arcana; Mako and Nudge were threatened by one, Zuko and Senza by another, and the captain braced his sword towards Tetra as she stepped back. She could have easily fled the fortress... but she refused to let her crew get left behind.

The door was thrown open.

A shaft of light ripped through the air, slammed into the captain, and caused the knight to burst.

+x+x+x+

Gonzo, Niko, and Link had arrived back at the _Princess Hilda_ in record time after Tetra's order. Moving hastily, the three of them quickly managed to get the ship **just** out of range of the _Silver Bone_ 's cannons, and worriedly, they awaited for the traitor's ship to retaliate. After a few moments, however, Gonzo saw there was something wrong.

"They're not firing," he muttered. "Link, take the King back! I think he just wanted to thin our ranks!"

With a groan, Link re-boarded the King of Red Lions and cruised back to the fortress, preparing his bow and arrows as he did. The _clink_ of Darknut footsteps emerged from behind the doors as he approached; in one motion he drew his bow and twisted his body to shoulder the door open, getting it _just_ wide enough for him to loose a Light Arrow towards one of the knights - a Mighty Darknut that was marching towards Tetra. As the captain turned, he leapt inside and raised his bow again, firing another arrow at the other two Darknuts surrounding the rest of the crew.

Tetra had an expression of panic on her face; Link didn't even get the chance to make sure everyone was alright before they rushed through the door he had left open. Wrought with worry of his own, the wind waker followed them outside to find the _Silver Bone_ was moving away - at speeds faster than any ship moving by oar power had right to be moving.

A confused glance towards Tetra asked the question for him; and the captain answered with anger and fear.

"He took my cannon."

* * *

Draco: I fear this may have come out... a little rushed. I ran into quite a few technical difficulties and I lost half of my work. I'm sorry if the procession of this chapter seems a bit hasty.


	4. Money in the Moonlight

Draco: My internal clock is so effed up.

In Wind Waker, Link's auction bets are noted in a text box as him speaking. That's just about the only conversation you're gonna hear out of him in this fic. Just a fair warning.

The Legend of Zelda and all related properties © Nintendo.

* * *

 **Log 4: Money in the Moonlight**

" _Windfall Island?_ "

Attempting to chase the _Silver Bone_ had brought Tetra and her crew to a small island with a small village that gave Link nasty pangs of homesickness. The inhabitants reported seeing the ship at range, but having no idea where it had gone. A travelling merchant, however, made landfall while they were asking around - and on hearing who they were looking for, the Goron was willing to share an interesting bit of news.

"I thought you might know the region," the merchant observed, glancing up at the _Princess Hilda_. Tetra hadn't flown a traditional Jolly Roger since Ganondorf's defeat; the flag that flew atop the ship nowadays was a sold triangle over a Hylian bird, white against black - a variation on the Hyrulean Wingcrest. "I traded with the _Bone_ 's captain about a week ago," he explained. "Said he was headed to Windfall, and he wanted a few solid Rupees in his pocket for when he got there."

"Did he say anything about _why_ he was going that way?" Tetra asked.

The Goron shrugged. "Something about a Shop Guru, or night auctions - he wasn't willing to share much."

Link and Tetra explained worried glances. "Alright," the captain mused. "Thank you."

The two of them took the King back to the _Princess_ , and everyone was shocked to hear what they had learned. "He's trying to auction off your cannon?" Gonzo mused.

"A week ago," Mako mused, adjusting his glasses. "They're not bowing to the wind. At the kind of speeds that ship was moving, they'd make landfall at Windfall before the end of the month."

"How are we gonna catch up to them, though?" Senza mused. "Even if we put the wind on our backs the whole way there, that Stal would've sold it to the shopkeep and the shopkeep would've auctioned it off before we even got close!"

Tetra lowered her gaze. "...Cyclos," she mused. "That lookout where we met Skull - the one you guys couldn't see. It had Cyclos' mark. If I conducted the Ballad-"

She was cut off when Niko put two fingers over her mouth. "I'm gonna stop you right there, Miss Tetra!" he snapped. "You can't play that song on this ship! We're gonna get **sunk** if the _Princess_ gets in the air!"

"What about... the King?" Zuko asked.

Niko yelped as Tetra closed her teeth on one of his fingers, pulling his hand away as Tetra turned to the lookout. "I guess that _would_ be a little safer," she admitted, "but we can't exactly do a round trip with the Ballad. And we can't sail any further than that lookout until the auction party gets back. We'd have to halt our voyage."

"That's worth it, Miss Tetra!" Gonzo argued. "That cannon is way too powerful to just let someone take it! You gotta get it back! Sittin' around for a few days isn't gonna be a problem!"

Tetra sighed, turning to Link. "We're not exactly popular on Windfall," she admitted. "Can I get you to take the King and grab it?"

Link nodded with a smile.

+x+x+x+

Unpleasant discovery #17 since setting out on the Great Voyage: landing a boat off the Ballad of Gales is a _lot_ harder without the boat putting in effort. Link hit the waters near the Forest Haven about twenty strokes away from the King, which had landed upside-down without its sail up. With a groan, the Hero of Winds swam his way over to his vessel and managed to right it, clambering on board as a familiar resonation emerged from under his tunic.

 _"Everything come out alright?"_

Tetra's query caused Link to nod as he fished out the Pirate's Charm around his neck, baring it to the salty air. It wasn't the first time they had conducted through the charm - as Niko had said, nobody wanted to see what would happen if they got the _Princess_ into the air - but it _was_ the first time Tetra had done so, and she had been worried something would go wrong.

A relieved sigh came out through the charm. _"Alright, then. How's the wind?"_ Link confirmed that the winds were blowing well to get him to Windfall, and Tetra continued; _"Let me know when the auction's about to start. We'll be waiting at Cyclos' lookout."_ Link's wallet was packed to bursting with Silver Rupees to make sure he couldn't be outsold - although Zunari had a tendency to halt the auctions when the bidding hit 1000 - and the entire crew had expressed a desire to listen in.

The hero had a sneaking suspicion they just wanted to hear him talk.

+x+x+x+

Unpleasant discovery #18: Windfall was a lot more popular than it used to be.

As Link approached the merchant island, two days after the Ballad, he was surprised to discover several large ships around the island - none of which had their flags raised. They were moored prow-to-stern in a tight ring around the area, and Beedle's Shop Ship was drifting around as though looking for a way past them; Link himself just barely managed to cruise the King in under a figurehead that looked unpleasantly reminiscent of an unshelled Gohma.

He made his way to Zunari's shop to find the winter-coated merchant was absent; Mila was standing behind the counter, and she seemed rather surprised to see Link approached. "Oh, hey!" she called. "If it isn't the ally of justice!" Link winced - she'd _never_ let him live that line down - as she continued, "You get tired of swimming with the pirates?"

Link shook his head; he didn't get the chance to do much more before someone ran into his back, causing him to stumble down on the counter as the guy who'd run into him - a heavyset guy who looked ready for a fight - muttered, "Watch it, brat."

Mila sighed as he took off. "I don't know how you got in here through all those ships," she admitted. "Those brutes have been pouring in like crazy ever since Zunari got his newest item." Link's gaze shot up at that, and she explained; "It was weird. This guy came in, all in armour. Said he wanted to talk to the 'shop guru'. Gave Zunari a box and said he wanted him to auction it off tonight. We weren't sure why he specifically... What?"

The hero's jaw had fallen when she mentioned the auction. He quickly drew an arrow, and in the counter he carved out a simple bone shape.

"He had that on his sword," she told him. "Said he was the captain of the _Silver Bone_ , and got it..." Realization struck her. "Wait, he didn't-! Did he get that thing off your captain?!"

Link nodded.

"Son of a Moblin," Mila muttered. "I wish I could just give it to you now and tell him the story later, but he's holding onto that thing tight. How long are you gonna be here?" The hero gave her a look, even as she muttered, "Never mind, that was a stupid question. He said he's gonna hold the auction tomorrow night. Think you got a chance of winning it?"

A confident chuckle from the wind waker as he nodded again.

"I'll make sure you get a seat," she promised. "Best of luck."

+x+x+x+

Killing time was a little trickier than Link had anticipated - but when the auction came around, the Hero of Winds was indeed at the auction house. Windfall's usual auction hunters were nowhere to be seen; the house was full of pirates from the ring of ships moored around the island.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Zunari called as he arrived at his auction-runner's podium. "First of all, let me thank all you bargain-loving people for joining us this evening! Dear me, what a turnout!" Link tapped the Pirate's Charm a couple times to notify Tetra and the _Princess_ ' crew as the shop guru continued his usual pre-auction spiel. The auction is about to begin! Yes! And what do you suppose will pop up as our item of the evening?! Oh, dear me! I'm so excited, I can't stop sniffling! The calm before the auction storm always make my nose run!" He wiped his nose surreptitiously on the sleeve of his coat before stepping towards a solid box on auction-item pedestal. "Let's get to it! This evening, our glorious auction item is... This!"

The box was flung open as the spotlights lit up, baring Tetra's weapon.

"A hand-held cannon!"

A chorus of shocked gasps; then the gathered pirates began to exchange glances and murmur about themselves. On the balcony above, Link saw a woman in a red doublet looking concerned at the commotion as Zunari continued his spiel as usual, clearly unaware of the value of what he was auctioning off. "...Oh, my dear, what a prize! At last, the suspense is over. But all drama aside, you should know that it is extremely rare to even get a chance to own a fabulous item like this! It is precious! Quite dear! Very valuable! Yes, yes, yes! Listen well, for I do not lie!"

He made his way back to the pedestal. "Let the auction begin! Let's start the bidding at-"

"One thousand Rupees!"

The wind waker's proclamation had the entire house turning to him - even Zunari was shocked at his announcement. "WHAT!?"

The woman on the balcony above spoke up before he had the chance to cut the auction short. "Eleven hundred Rupees!"

A patch-eyed pirate followed through in short order. "Twelve hundred!"

Another, with a wooden peg where his leg should have been, countered with "Thirteen hundred!"

"Two thousand!"

Link's attempt at a jump was interrupted in short order. "Twenty-three hundred!" insisted the brute that had knocked him aside in town.

The patch-eye countered with "Twenty-six hundred!"

A short figure with a hook where his hand ought've been argued for "Twenty-seven fifty!"

" _Four thousand!_ "

The balcony woman seemed amused at Link's fortitude. "Little man here with big pockets!" she proclaimed.

The wood-legger didn't give up easily. "Fourty-four hundred!"

A sixth bidder, this one a skinny twig who looked like he belonged in a crow's nest, countered with "Fourty-seven hundred!"

The hook-handed pirate spoke up again. "Fifty-one hundred!"

"Five thousand, seven hundred and ninety-one Rupees!" called the patch-eye.

"That your whole wallet?" asked the hook-hand.

"Fifty-eight fifty!" called the wood-legger.

"Sixty-three hundred!" countered the brute.

"Sixty-six sixty!"

"Sixty-six seventy!"

"Sixty-seven hundred!"

" _ **Ten thousand Rupees!**_ "

The wind waker's bellowing roar brought the auction house to silence just long enough for Zunari to interrupt, slamming a small mallet into his podium. "SOLD!" he insisted. "Here ends the auction!"

"Hold on!" the woman on the balcony argued. "Does this boy even _have_ ten thousand Rupees?"

Link didn't say a word; he simply stepped up to the front of the area, reaching into his wallet. The gathered crowd of pirates stepped back in shock as he drew out a handful of _silver_ Rupees, handing them to Zunari, who quickly counted them out.

"Fifty silver Rupees, at two hundred Rupees each," he confirmed. "Tonight's fabulous item goes to... Link! For the price of ten thousand Rupees!"

The wind waker didn't stick around for the rest of his post-auction spiel; he quickly slammed the box shut with Tetra's cannon in it, lifted it off the pedestal, and charged out of the auction house - and on the balcony above, the woman in the red doublet made her own way out of the building, signalling for the gathered pirates below to depart at their first opportunity.

+x+x+x+

"Hey, kid!"

Link had just secured the box with Tetra's cannon into the King, and was about to cruise it out past the ships and into open waters, so that Tetra could safely conduct him out of there, when the angry shout from behind caused him to turn. The woman from the balcony had followed him; she had in her hands a loaded crossbow, causing Link to reach for his Hero's Sword and Hero's Shield as she approached. "What are you doing?"

The wind waker raised an eyebrow at her.

"What use does a brat like you have for a weapon like that?" the woman demanded. "No one your age should be playing with bombs, let alone cannons. Be a good boy, and hand it over."

Link braced his shield before himself, raising his sword threateningly, without stepping out of the King.

A menacing laugh from the woman. "I'll let you in on a little secret," she warned. "All these ships around here? They work for me. Every captain in that bidding war, and every man and every woman of every crew around the island - they're _my_ men, and _my_ women. Your thick pockets, and your cheap gear, they don't mean anything. These people have my loyalty. You're _nothing_ to us."

 _" **You** are nothing to **us!** "_

Tetra's voice boomed out from the Pirate's Charm, causing the woman with the crossbow to start. Her grip tightened involuntarily on the trigger, and her bolt impaled itself in the earth under her as she stepped back. "Who's there?"

 _"Do you **know** who you're dealing with?"_ Tetra demanded. _"If you're new to these waters, that's the only excuse you have!"_ Link braced his sword at his side, letting a magical glow surround the blade as she continued; _"Ask anybody, on **any** island on this sea! Ask them, 'Who is the boy in green, sailing on the red ship with bow and sword in accord?' They will all give you the same answer! That is **Link** , the **Hero of Winds**! He who calmed the dragon Valoo, who earned the trust of the Great Deku Tree, and who raised a mighty tower in the center of the Great Sea! And he will be cowed by **no one**! Least of all a would-be captain who **knows not** what she pursues!"_

The captains from the auction house were charging forward, and deep notes on a Hyrulean choir echoed from the charm as Tetra warned, _"Hold on tight!"_

Link quickly sheathed his sword and slung his shield over it, grabbing the King's tiller as the Ballad of Gales echoed around him - and a twister whirled around his ship, lifting it into the air - in full view of the pirates gathered there.

* * *

Draco: We're not done with these guys yet. I know it kind of looks like it, but we're not.


	5. War Against the Wind

Draco: You know, sometimes I wish I was the kind of free-spending otaku who bought everything that had anything to do with what I liked as soon as I saw it, just in case it was useful. Instead, I decide against, say, half a dozen amiibo, just for now, and then it's gone from all the local stores by the time I change my mind, which leaves me scouring online buys and dealing with delivery waits.

The Legend of Zelda and all related properties © Nintendo.

* * *

 **Log 5: War Against the Wind**

The sickening _thud_ of flesh striking flesh.

And the _crack_ of bone breaking under a blow.

Those sounds rang out from the deck of the _Sand Goddess_ , the leading ship of those pirate vessels that had ringed Windfall Island, all the others of which now ringed her. Its captain - a woman named Shar - had been robbed of her red doublet, bound to the mast, and was currently taking a beating from a brute named Jor, captain of the _Ripper_.

"Oh, no you don't!" Jor snapped as his victim started to slack. "You're not gonna pass out on me!" He grabbed her by the hair, slamming the back of her head into the mast; her face was already bloodied and bruised, and she barely managed to raise her gaze. "You told us that was a mark of prestige! Something to help you slip under the radar, not a _weapon!_ You brought us here so you could fire at us with a hand-held broadside! And then you let it get taken away - _loser!_ "

He slammed another blow into her jaw. "I was... misinformed," she forced out. "I didn't-"

"Don't lie to the man, Shar," another woman protested. Wearing her doublet was her former first mate, a woman with dark skin, red hair, eyes of amber, and a long, sharp nose. "You told **us** that you were after the weapon of Captain Tetra. We didn't realize you were going to rope the whole legion into it. Let alone hire that Stalfos in the armour."

A chorus of "What!?" from the gathered captains - the auction-hunting pirates that had lost the weapon to the boy in green.

Shar raised her gaze weakly. "Kura, what...?"

"Didn't she tell you all?" The first mate, Kura, turned to the gathered men. "She found a Stalfos and a Wizzrobe that were luring rich pirates and sinking them to the depths with their holds still full. She enlisted their help to take the weapon of the infamous Captain Tetra and bring it here. She planned to take Tetra's weapon from whoever won the auction, then lure you to the _Silver Bone_ 's waters and have them sink you all."

She stepped towards her former captain, setting a hand on her chin. "And we couldn't just sit back and let that happen."

"What is this?" Shar demanded.

"Mutiny." Kura didn't even try to make it sound nice. "A crew under a black flag does not fly to the whims of a single madwoman, but rather act in accordance with their _collective_ madness. You gave us orders for such a twisted goal, not considering whether we would agree to it, and expected us to stand behind you."

A knife was drawn from a sheath at her hip, baring a twin-pointed blade; and when she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper, heard only by her former captain.

"That was your **second** mistake. Your **first**..."

Her hand shot forward, and Shar gave a piercing scream as the knife drove into her side.

"...was running aground in a desert, and thinking any descendant of Hyrule would have the undying loyalty of a people who were driven out of that kingdom."

The mutineer ripped the blade out of Shar's flesh, turning away as the door to the hold was thrown open. "Hang her off the prow!" she called. "As soon as we have wind in the sail, cut her free." The crew - each member with the same combination of shadow, fire, and amber - started to adjust Shar's bindings, and their new captain stepped towards the railing.

A hook-handed captain by the name of Ron stepped forward. "Kura, was it?" he asked. "What do you plan to do?"

Kura was quiet for a long moment. "...The boy who took Tetra's weapon," she prompted. "You said he was dressed in green?"

"Yes...?"

A small smile rose on Kura's face. "On the desert island we come from, there's a story about how we ended up in that land. The king of our people travelled to a neighboring kingdom, and swore false allegiance to _that_ land's king. He burned the royal family's home to the ground... and after seven years of terrorizing that kingdom, his rule was ended by a swordsman clad in green. A hero who had manifested from time itself, and faded away once the deed was done. The actions of our king cast a foul light on our people, and the inhabitants of that kingdom drove our people out of the land."

Ron leaned back against the rail. "Seems like a fairytale to me," he mused.

"Doesn't it, though?" Kura admitted. "But you see, when Shar became our captain, she told us about something similar. She was born on this sea, although she left at a young age. She told us there's an island to the southwest. And on that island, when boys become men, they're dressed in the green of fields, trained to wield a sword, and taught the ways of honour - in memory of a hero."

"You think...?"

"I do," Kura confirmed. "The boy who took Captain Tetra's weapon is from that island. And I'm willing to bet he didn't take it for himself."

+x+x+x+

 _"Link?"_

The Hero of Winds tapped his Pirate's Charm to assure Tetra that he'd heard her.

 _" **What** are you doing on the Mother Isle?"_

Link sighed. The Ballad of Gales had a curious side effect when it was conducted by proxy; the one whom the twister was called for was the one who decided its destination. Being stampeded by cannon-hunting pirates was not in Link's interest, but he had a matter to discuss with the captain while he was still on the seas over Hyrule. The King of Red Lions had landed more-or-less safely in the pool on Mother Isle, and Link had glided down on his Deku Leaf once he was sure it was upright.

At Tetra's query, Link opened up the King's (rather cramped) storage and drew out his old fishman-drawn Sea Chart. Once he was sure he had it oriented right, he tapped the Pirate's Charm to ensure the captain was paying attention before beckoning to Outset Island in the southwest.

A moment's quiet... then an amused fit of giggles through the charm caused Link to lower his map. _"Seriously?"_ she mused, sounding more amused than annoyed. _"Didn't I tell you the **first** time you left that I couldn't have you getting homesick and wanting to turn around?"_

Her tone was teasing. Link's expression was not.

 _"Alright, alright,"_ Tetra insisted once she had stopped laughing. _"We haven't gotten back to that lookout with Cyclos' mark anyways. As long as you're over Hyrule, I guess I can let you stop by Outset."_ As Link was rolling up his sea chart, she added, _"But listen. Once we get there, I need to conduct you right back, okay? With those pirates around Windfall, I don't want to leave my cannon where people can get at it."_

Link nodded in understanding.

+x+x+x+

The _Princess Hilda_ never did make it to the lookout... by water.

Three days after the auction, Tetra was arrow-fishing (or trying to) in one of their longboats during quiet winds when Niko's shriek drew her attention. The sound of cutlasses being drawn caused her to drop her bow and clamber up the side of the _Princess_ to find a Kargaroc dying on the deck, the entire crew standing around it (save for Zuko in the crow's nest).

With a sigh, Tetra hopped the railing. "Niko," she reprimanded as the bird burst, "how many times do I have to tell you to-"

She fell quiet when the smoke cleared. There had been something _on_ that bird; what looked like a bottle for a very strong drink had fallen to the deck, and as everyone's attention was drawn to it they realized there was a _letter_ inside of it (and one that had not been furled very tightly). Tetra quickly dashed forward and picked up the bottle; not having the patience to try and wrestle the paper out, she smashed the bottle against the mast and grabbed the letter, holding it open before her as she started to read it aloud.

 _To the famed Captain Tetra  
I do not wish to threaten you when you are unknowing of what has happened thus far; and so, before I lay my terms, I will have you informed of the circumstances that have led to my address of you.  
The pirate Stalfos who stole your weapon, the captain of the Silver Bone, was not acting of his own accord. The captain of my ship, the Sand Goddess, employed him in an effort to slay every man in the legion of pirates of which we are a part. To our fortune, her plans were cut short by a young swordsman clad in green. We, the crew of the Sand Goddess, and the other captains in that legion, have disposed of the traitor for her deception.  
Now, the green of fields that the swordsman wore indicates that he had come from Outset Island. In writing this, I assume that he was acting under your orders, and has now returned to your side. If he has no alliance with you, discard this message now.  
We - the pirate legion - will sail for Outset Island in seven days' time from the morning following our encounter with the swordsman in green. If you are not there, we will rain iron on the island and claim whatever prizes lie upon it.  
~Captain Kura of the Sand Goddess_

The _Princess Hilda_ was quiet for a long moment; then Gonzo spoke. "Your orders, Miss Tetra?" he asked.

Tetra's grip closed on the letter. "They're threatening Link. And his home. We can't stand idly by."

The whole crew started. "Wha...!?"

"Nudge," she barked, "get us to full sail. Mako, I need _everything_ tied down. Senza, make sure the cannons aren't loaded. Zuko," she yelled, "down from the crow's nest! Gonzo, raise the anchor. Niko..."

The bottom-rung pirate raised an eyebrow, wondering what low-priority task he would be given this time - and was very surprised at what task Tetra gave him.

"Tie us all lifelines."

+x+x+x+

 _"...k..."_

A faded whisper from a distance caught his ears.

 _"...ink!"_

Slowly, the Hero of Winds started to stir.

 _"Link! Open your eyes!"_

With a groan, Link started to rise, his eyes forcing themselves open. He'd fallen asleep in the lookout on Outset again; after a moment of gazing around, wondering who had roused him, his gaze went down to the Pirate's Charm around his neck, and he tapped it weakly.

 _"Yes, it's me, sleepyhead!"_ Tetra sounded panicked. _"Listen, this is serious. Those pirates you were bidding against on Windfall the other night are **en route to Outset**."_

The words had the hero shooting to his feet in a panic.

 _"There you go,"_ the captain mused. _"I'm gonna bring the Princess to Outset. Make sure everyone knows what's going on, alright?"_

A firm nod; Link wasn't going to sit idly by.

+x+x+x+

"And here I thought I'd never have to look like this again..."

The voice that uttered those words as she looked herself over in the mirror was the only thing left of the feared Captain Tetra. Her skin had been robbed of ten years' sunlight, and was now so pale that there was no colour for fear to drain from it. Her hair had been loosed from its high spiral, and now flowed to her waist; a gold circlet inlaid with several bright rubies kept it from falling into her hair, and two feathered clips of bright gold held it back at the sides. Her light, mobile pirate garb had been traded for a floor-length dress decorated with a white Hylian bird, a golden Triforce, and seabound swirls (in that order from the belt), and her hands were covered by white opera gloves.

Princess Zelda gave a heavy sigh, swiping one hand at the last sparks of magic that lingered around her after she had invoked the Hyrulean garb. A boom of thunder from outside caused a smirk to rise on her face - Cyclos seemed to know full well what was going on - before she picked up the Wind Waker and her Pirate's Charm from the table at her bedside and started outside, slipping the charm into one of the numerous pockets of her dress. Mako had passed her cabin on his way back to the deck without so much as a glance inside, so she knew the entire crew would be out the door - and would have a good view of her.

Niko was fastening a knot around Gonzo when the door opened, and he called as he turned, "Lifelines secured, Miss Te-"

The name was strangled in his throat as he - and everyone else - got a good look at her. After a few moments, Zuko's spyglass slipped from his grip and onto the deck, breaking the silence, and Zelda quickly gave her crew her worst demanding look. "What?" she demanded. "I _told_ you about Hyrule."

"Yeah, but we didn't _believe_ you'd be wearing something like **that!** " Gonzo protested.

Zelda groaned. "Is everyone tied in?"

Niko stiffened like a board, raising his hand in salute. "J-Just you left, Princess!"

"Alright, bind me tight to the mast."

The crew quickly made sure she was secured; then she raised the Wind Waker, and deep notes on a Hyrulean choir rang out around the ship. Zelda quickly slipped the baton into one of her gloves to make sure she didn't lose it as gales started to turn the ship in the water. The _Princess Hilda_ spun on Cyclos' winds, and slowly it lifted from the water as the storm god's magic draped the vessel. Full sails raised to catch the air kept the colours high as the ship levelled out, and then started to descend; as the ship set down in the waters, its rotational momentum faded out, and in no time the vessel had gone still.

A unified sigh of relief emerged from the crew. Zelda quickly snatched Niko's cutlass out of its scabbard and sliced through her bindings. Handing the blade back, she glanced off the deck and was relieved to see Outset Island there - a good distance away, yet, but they had arrived at their destination. While the others were untying (and/or slicing) their lifelines, Zelda drew out her Pirate's Charm and held it before her, closing one eye as she peered into it - being more familiar with the charm than both the hero and the rest of her crew, she could peer through the charm to its counterpart and view its surroundings. "Link, are you there?"

 _"Miss Tetra, is that you?"_

Zelda recoiled from both the voice and face she saw through the charm. "Wha... Aryll?" she called, looking into the charm again - Link had set his charm down on a table on the deck of their house, and he and his little sister were gathered around it. She also had an amusing view of her own ship. "Long time no see."

 _"Did you just drop your ship out of the sky!?"_ she proclaimed.

"More or less," Zelda admitted. "Look, Aryll, we've got a-"

 _"I know,"_ Aryll interrupted. _"Link told us everything."_

Zelda blinked, glancing back at the listening crew - and sharing surprised glances - before she turned back to the charm with a smirk. "Oh, he **told** you, did he?"

Aryll whirled on Link accusingly. " _Big Brother!"_ she reprimanded.

"Link," Zelda prompted, before Aryll could lecture him, "can you cruise the King out here and ferry us to shore?"

The Hero of Winds nodded quickly, rushing away from the charm before his sister could say anything more. With a sigh, Aryll picked up the charm. _"Does he really still not talk to you guys?"_

"He doesn't talk to _anyone_ ," Zelda admitted. "He doesn't say anything less urgent than 'come on'."

Link brought the King alongside the _Princess Hilda_ in short order, and as he clambered up on the deck he promptly double-took at the sight of Zelda standing there in full Hyrulean regalia. To her relief, however, he made no comment (or anything else out of the ordinary) as he helped her down to the King - the rest of the crew deciding to stay back until she was on shore.

"That's not gonna go away for a while," Zelda muttered.

The hero offered her an apologetic look, but nothing more until they arrived at the Outset dock. Aryll was there with the Pirate's Charm in had, and many of the villagers were gathered at the shore - all of them wore amazed expressions at the sight of the Princess being ferried to shore. The deck of the King sat a good bit below the dock, which made it difficult to get ashore in a dress; Link offered her a hand in getting up, and once she had her feet on a solid surface Zelda turned to the gathered people.

"There is no need for formalities here. Be at ease. I have arrived only to defend this island, nothing more. When the time comes, I may need to ask you take refuge - until then, I would have you go about as you normally do... so much as you are capable with this threat looming over your heads."

Murmurs spread throughout the villagers, but the crowd quickly dispersed. Once she was sure they were not all watching her, Tetra turned to Link and his sister. "Aryll," she prompted, "do you not recognize my voice?"

An expression of shock spread across the girl's face.

"Yes. I am Captain Tetra."

" _Miss Tetra?"_ Aryll exclaimed. "You're a...?!"

Zelda nodded. "A Princess, yes. One of a long-lost kingdom... but nonetheless." Turning to the wind waker; "Link, get the others to shore. And get them to stop treating me like some figurine in an art gallery. I'm still their captain."

Link gave her a displeased look at her choice of words before hopping back into the King and starting to cruise back to the _Princess Hilda_. As Zelda turned, she was surprised to see Link's grandmother approaching. "Welcome back, dear," she greeted. "If you or your men are hungry, I've a warm meal waiting."

"Much obliged, your Elderness."

+x+x+x+

"Outset Island dead ahead, Captain!"

Kura stood at the prow of the _Sand Goddess_ , which was leading the V formation in which the pirate legion sailed. It had been seven days since Shar had lost the legion's loyalty, and as they had promised Captain Tetra, they were sailing to Outset in the nightlight to confront her... or rain down hell if she was not there.

"I see a ship!" continued the lookout. "The name... _Princess Hilda!_ Is that Tetra's ship?"

The captain scoffed. "Shar never gave us the name of Tetra's ship," she called back. "We can parley on the shore and deter-"

"They've lit something!"

The interruption caused Kura to raise her gaze. There **was** something shining on the deck of that ship - and it was so bright as to blind them to the gibbous moon in the sky above them. A moment's confusion; then Kura spun on her heel and yelled, "Get down!" Every woman on her ship, and every man on the rest of the legion, took cover as a streak of light ripped through the air, slamming into the mast. Kura half expected the sails to meet the water, and the _Sand Goddess_ to go still - but no. The distinct sound of an arrow striking the mast caught her ears, and she raised her gaze in shock as the flash of its impact faded.

"An arrow of light?"

There was indeed a golden shaft impaled in the mast, slowly fading out - and to her surprise, there was something _tied_ to it, falling to the deck.

"A _message_ _delivered_ by arrow of light?"

She quickly seized the weighted note, reading it quickly aloud.

 _I wish to parley with the leader of the pirate legion. Your ships are presently on a collision course with a series of icebergs. Meet me there._

" **What** icebergs?" Kura cried.

+x+x+x+

"Yeah, that's solid."

Link had a Light Arrow nocked in his Hero's Bow. Zelda had prepared a message for the pirate legion, and meant to send it by arrow - but only a Light Arrow would fly far enough, and so she needed to make sure there was something solid to tie it to. She quickly looped a rope around it, to which there was bound a rock and a scrap of solid leather with a message tied to it. Once it was secure, Link took aim, and Zelda turned to Aryll, who was standing at the prow with her own telescope in hand.

"They can see you," Aryll confirmed. "They're taking cover."

Zelda turned and swept her hand forward, and Link loosed the arrow, letting it soar forward. It ripped through the air unbound by gravity, and slammed into something on the leading ship; Aryll had to lower her spyglass for a moment as the impact struck, and then quickly reaffixed it on the ship. "They noticed the message."

Link readied his next arrow; ice magic draped the arrowhead, and Zelda quickly guided his aim to ensure his shot would fly far enough.

"They're reading it," Aryll said quickly.

An ice arrow was loosed, and Link was already drawing the next as it arced through the air and collided with the water, forming an icy obstacle in front of the lead ship. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine arrows in total flew, halting the legion of ships, and Zelda quickly guided him to fire a few more to stop them from getting any ideas about going around.

Aryll sighed. "That's not enough room for lots of people to stand on," she prompted.

"How many can you fire at once?" Zelda asked of the wind waker.

Three arrows flew in parallel arcs; the multishot was weaker from distributing the draw between multiple arrows, and as they struck the water a massive heap of ice formed a parley ground.

"Too spiky," Aryll warned. "You'll be hurting yourselves."

Zelda hummed for a moment. "Here, if you aim like this..."

A single Fire Arrow flew in a carefully measured arc, the heat searing through the top of the ice and smoothing it off.

"That's good," Aryll prompted. "You want to make sure it's just the leader?"

She handed Zelda her telescope, and the princess quickly looked towards the legion. Thoughts of the leader were briefly forgotten, however, when she realized who was on the lead ship - an entire crew of women with skin so dark they were nearly invisible in the darkness, and hair of fiery red.

"Are those...?" Her voice was barely a whisper. "Those are Gerudo women!"

Link turned to her, worried.

Zelda sighed. "Alright," she called to the rest of the crew. "We'll be back one way or another. You lot keep Aryll safe, you hear?"

"Yes, Princess Zelda!"

+x+x+x+

The King of Red Lions cruised its way to the parley ground. A single longboat was already waiting nearby, with two Gerudo women sitting in it; on seeing the King approach, one in a red doublet quickly clambered up one side as the Hylians climbed up the other.

"You are the leader of the pirate legion?"

"I am indeed," the Gerudo in the doublet replied. "I am Captain Kura, of the _Sand Goddess_."

The princess smirked. "Forgive me for being frank," she called, "but I did not expect to meet people of the desert in these waters."

Kura only scoffed. "Then we are even," she countered. "In all my time speaking with sailors under the sun that burns down on the seas, I did not expect to meet a pirate captain of such..." She seemed to be searching for an appropriate word, settling on "...fairness."

"And indeed you haven't," was the reply she received. "For I am no pirate captain."

Her words brought the Gerudo to halt. "And yet, the hero in green - he does not work for you?"

Link only chuckled.

"You may say that he does work for me." The princess' words were carried on a voice composed. "And yet, one might say that I work for him. And another might say that we are in fact equals."

Kura took a defensive stance. "...Who are you?"

Her left hand went to her right, drawing off the glove around it - and as the cuff of that long glove left, she turned her hand so that the back of her fist faced the Gerudo captain - and revealed the three triangles burned into her skin, a remnant of the golden power that she had once held.

"I am Princess Zelda Aria Hyrule. Inheritor of the Triforce of Wisdom, and ally to the Hero of Winds. With Farore, Din, and Nayru as my witnesses, I shall defend Outset Island to my last breath. On my word, do as I say, or I shall send every man, woman, and ship in your legion to join my kingdom..."

She turned her palm forward, and the shining light of the Royal Family's arcana blazed in her hand.

"...beneath these waves."

Captain Kura stumbled back as the sight of the glowing magic. "...Name your terms... Princess of Hyrule."

"You," and here her voice boomed across the water, such that everyone in the legion heard her, "all of you, will leave Outset Island alone. If ever you return, it will be on peaceful grounds."

"...I will do as you ask," Kura spat, "if you answer me this: Why do you oppose us?"

"I oppose you because you threaten an innocent settlement," Zelda proclaimed. "A place that holds cherished memory, and the Hero's home, what's more. Do not misunderstand me, Captain Kura; I oppose you because you - all of you - have opposed me."

A moment's pause; when it ended, a small smirk rose on the Gerudo captain's face, and when she spoke, her own voice carried to the other ships.

"Then hear me, Princess Zelda - if any man in this legion opposes your command, I shall aid you in sending them to join your kingdom."

+x+x+x+

"I wasn't sure that would work."

The legion had departed entire without an argument, all cowed by the threat of Hyrule's princess. And that was a relief - for Zelda did not have _nearly_ the power she implied without the golden triangles to back her up. Simply the light in her hand was the extent of her power with the Hyrulean magic - and even that had threatened to send her to unconsciousness. They had returned to Outset Island, and everyone in the village was relieved to hear of their victorious intimidation.

Tetra had changed back out of the Hyrulean regalia, and they had ferried Aryll back to the shore. "Do you have to go so soon?" she asked worriedly.

"Sorry, Aryll," Tetra insisted, "but we made a promise. We'll find a new land - a land that will become the new Hyrule. And until we find it, we'll keep sailing."

They bid the island goodbye and cruised back to the _Princess Hilda_. Link was at the tiller as Tetra shuffled through the King's storage. "Never would've thought this thing would... prove so troublesome," she grunted, trying to pull Zunari's box out of the storage. "A weapon for intimidation, that's all I wanted. I didn't- Ah!" She stumbled back slightly as the box popped out, and Link started before she righted herself. "I didn't want the whole damn ocean going at each others' throats for..."

She fell quiet as they drew close to the _Princess Hilda_ ; the Hero of Winds released the tiller and started to climb before Tetra spoke.

"Link."

Her worried tone drew him to halt, turning towards him.

"Where is my cannon?"

* * *

Draco: I presently have **no idea** where Breath of the Wild rests in the chronology of the Legend. All my plans for this fic were made before the Switch came out, and I thought it through too much to alter it based on assumptions that Breath of the Wild happened during the Adult Timeline.


	6. The Captain and the Queen

Draco: Goddesses. A whole month since the Switch came out, I haven't played anything but Breath of the Wild and Yahtzee. And that last one only because there have been several power outages in my area.

* * *

 **Log 6: The Captain and the Queen**

"What the hell, what the hell, what the hell!"

The King of Red Lions was quickly upside down on the deck of the _Princess Hilda_ , and the contents of its cargo hold scattered out. That currently consisted of the empty box from Zunari's auction, a sea chart, a Bait Bag, and several moldy Hiyori Pears that were quickly thrown over the edge of the ship.

Gonzo grunted. "Did it maybe get lost somewhere on Windfall?" he asked.

"No, I had my eye on the charm until I did the Ballad for Link," Tetra insisted. "That box didn't get touched until he left Windfall. Then he went straight here from... wait." She turned to the wind waker. "You didn't open it up on the Mother Isle, did you?"

Link shook his head.

"Is there... anything _on_ the Isle?" Zuko inquired.

"I don't think so," Mako replied. "The natural walls surrounding the Mother Isle make it impassable. The only thing that could get in there would be a Kargarok, and you can hear them attacking from a league away. And Link wouldn't be so foolish as to not notice a monster on ground level. There's nothing-"

The hero's startled gasp brought him to fall quiet. Tetra knew that reaction anywhere. "There _is_ something there?"

Link angled his hand side-to-side.

"What do you mean, _kinda?_ "

This got her a meaningful look he had fired several times when things concerned 'Hyrulean' matters.

The captain sighed. "Fine," she muttered. "I'm coming with you.

The hero's mouth opened to protest.

"I **am** coming with you!" Tetra reprimanded. Turning to the rest of the crew; "Take the Princess to Windfall. We'll meet you there after we've figured things out, then we can conduct back to Cyclos' lookout."

Niko spoke up at this point. "You want me to tie us lifelines again?"

"Not unless you get there before I do," Tetra insisted. "If you're bound while you're en route, it'll just make things harder. Keep the ropes down until you drop anchor."

"Yes, Princess Zelda!"

"And _don't call me that!_ "

+x+x+x+

The King touched down more-or-less smoothly in the Mother Isle off the twister. Tetra landed swiftly in the vessel as Link drifted down on his Deku Leaf; the Hero of Winds touched down at the side of the shallow pool in which the ship was floating. Once she was sure there was nothing ready to attack her, Tetra turned to the swordsman. "Well?" she asked. "What's this 'kinda' you were going on about?"

A flash of light robbed Link of his chance to speak, and Tetra turned round, hoping to sight its source. To her shock, a figure no larger than herself or Link was starting to materialize in the air; a young girl, so it seemed, except her entire body appeared forged in silvery blue. There was no separation to show clothing from flesh, and her eyes were voids of the same colours as the face around them. In one hand was a small, doll-like figure with a long, tapering body and four arms - or so it seemed to be in her hand. As she watched, she realized it was hovering just past her grip, not making contact yet not falling away either.

"Zelda, Your Grace... Or perhaps you prefer Tetra."

Link said nothing as the Fairy Queen addressed his captain. She was acting so different from last time he had met her; then, she had behaved in a manner reminiscent of any Hylian girl his age, albeit with a more flirtatious attitude than most girls he had met. Now, she seemed nigh emotionless, speaking to Wisdom's inheritor as an equal... or even a lesser.

The captain only narrowed her gaze. "To whom do you wish to speak?" she asked.

The Fairy Queen lowered her gaze and raised her hands before her, and the doll of the Great Fairy floated between them, four arms moving in the same arcane manner as the real Great Fairies he had met. With a faint glow, something appeared in the air, held on those four arms light a titanic cannon.

"To whom this weapon belongs."

"Then I am Captain Tetra."

Her eyes met those of the Fairy Queen. "Why did you concoct such a powerful weapon?"

Tetra lowered her own gaze. "I wished to better serve my crew," she replied. "I have no love of bloodshed. I wanted to intimidate those who would oppose us, that I need not resort to violence. And I needed something powerful to intimidate onlookers, if my opponent would call my bluff - for if I were to fail to follow through on my warnings, then word would spread. People all across the oceans would know that Captain Tetra makes empty threats."

Her eyes closed as she shook her head.

"And my crew would suffer for it."

The Fairy Queen lowered her hands, though the cannon and the Great Fairy doll holding it remained in place. "You have acted on noble intentions," she observed. "However... this weapon is far more powerful than you have intended. If any were to call your bluff, you would succeed in your designs. All who would onlook upon the aftermath of your strike would be overcome with horror, and wrought with that horror the rest of their lives."

Her gaze rose to the skies above the Mother Isle.

"Enemies... allies..."

Then her head lowered so that her gaze met Link's.

"Beloved... and yourself."

Tetra looked up in time to meet the Fairy Queen's gaze.

"This is a weapon that has **no place** in **any land** tied to the **legend** of which you two are part."

A brief moment of silence; then Tetra nodded, turning away. "If what you say is true, then I invite you to unmake it. See that it can never be used - by me, or anyone else. I shall never make another."

"You do Nayru proud."

The whistle of powerful magic gathering caused Tetra to turn back - and she was horrified when she saw the Fairy Queen slam her palms together... and the cannon _shattered_ between them, fragments fading into light as they scattered across the Mother Isle. The Great Fairy doll was lowered at its owner's side as she turned her gaze down on the captain.

"There is terror on your expression - and it is not because you lied to me."

"N-No," Tetra insisted. "That's not... I just..." She shook her head. "I had no idea you held such... power."

A light giggle emerged from the Fairy Queen as she raised one hand to her lips; then she held both hands at her sides, and her body started to fade out as she slumped forward - like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

+x+x+x+

The _Princess Hilda_ met the King of Red Lions en route to Windfall; Tetra was holding the box from Zunari's auction as they came close. "Prin- Er, Miss Tetra!" Gonzo called as the King drew alongside them. "Did you get the cannon?!"

Tetra exchanged glances with Link, who shrugged. "Something like that," she called back - and to Gonzo's shock, she tossed the box forward, whereupon it sank into the water.

The two of them boarded the _Princess_ , and the King was stored away safely. "Niko," Tetra instructed, "tie us all up. Link will conduct us once we're safe."

"Do we have a heading?" Senza inqured.

Tetra shook her head. "We'll let the wind guide us once we get there," she promised.

The crew set about securing the ship; and Tetra made her way to the prow.

"Well, then. What's this 'legend' have in store for us?"


End file.
